Moisturising Solutions!

On my latest spring clean I managed to find over 6 bottles of ‘Johnson Baby Products’ lurking around my beauty shelves. I  fear I may have a slight addiction brewing, or maybe its been there all this time and  I just haven’t acknowledged it. Either way, I really don’t know why I was so surprised to find so many bottles of the ‘Baby Oil‘ around, the oil is cheap as chips and works a treat not only on babies, but adults and big kids too!

This oil  is fantastic because it can be applied to wet skin. When it’s applied to wet skin it can lock in more moisture than other body lotions, and the best thing is, you don’t have to wait for it to dry. I think that’s  great because your clothes can be put on straight after its been applied, without leaving them greasy.

That’s why I love Johnson’s baby oil, you can apply is instantly after a shower onto your wet skin, it soaks up  the water like a sponge, and it dries pretty much immediately. The back of my arms are prone to dry patches and can leave my skin a little bumpy, but using the oil tends to keep my skin hydrated for the day.

This oil is so mild it also makes a great eye make-up remover, dab a little on a cotton pad and it will remove the most stubborn waterproof mascaras and eyeliner.It’s also a great alternative to shaving cream, especially if you have sensitive skin, it’s so gentle but still manages to lock in the skins moisture which will help prevent your skin from drying when shaving.

Morning times are a killer for me, I’m always 10 or 15 minutes behind, mainly because I refuse to get out of the bed when my alarm suggests otherwise. Therefore, finding the time to moisturise after my shower is near impossible, especially if I’m running late (which is always). This oil is perfect for me because it’s so functional, I can use it without adding any further time delays to my morning.

verdict: Star Buy

You can have your cake and eat it! You simply, buy two….

Nothing can lure me in quicker than the smell of freshly baked goods wafting from an oven (Mmmmmm Cakeee). I love cake, and when it comes down to it (I’m thinking old school here), cupcakes, creamy sponge or a slice of madeira with a thin layer of butter tends to hit the spot for me, especially if it’s accompanied by a cup of milky tea. 

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With a BIG thanks to Carrie Bradshaw for biting into a cupcake on Sex and the City, we have seen this humble cupcake recipe rise to fame, and has become a bigger trend than the # on twitter. With ‘cupcakeries’ popping up around country faster than ‘cash for gold’ outlets, I’ve decided to make it my mission to find the perfect cupcake (well, in Dublin at least) 

Recently though, it seems that whenever I go to buy a cupcake I’m always left with a little anti-climax. Mainly due to the fact that I get way too excited trying to decide on which one I want; butter cream frosting, cream cheese frosting, chocolate, cookie, lemon, sprinkles, glitter, butterflies, bows… (HOW do you decide???) Anyway, my point is, after all the excitement of buying one, I end up not knowing what to it with it. If I don’t have a fork, I don’t  know how to eat it without getting all that frosting all over my face. It’s quite the challenge trying to take a bite big enough to get the right proportions of frosting and bun in my mouth at the same time. By the end, I’m slightly left wishing I saved my  3 quid for a quick pick on the Euro Millions.

But, just when I was beginning to lose all hope  ‘Lolly and Cooks‘ came into my life (I know, I need to get over myself, it’s just a cupcake) But what great cupcakes they are. I really like this place,  the cupcakes are always fresh, the bun is really light and they don’t put too much frosting on the top, well in comparison to other places. They look good, but not too good, they have a rustic look going on and it makes me feel like someone hasn’t spent all morning mauling my food.

Today I opted for a raspberry and coconut cupcake, and I can happily say that this story had a happy ending (Well…. until I hit the scales tomorrow)

The Golden Phoenix is the world’s most expensive cupcake. It’s available in the boutique café ‘Bloomsbury’ in Dubai, so If any of you have €800 just lying around, maybe you could try it and kindly let me know how you got on?

I always seem to be the ‘BUTT’ of the joke, and that’s not ‘CALF’ the story!

I’m not, and never have been someone who was blessed with a Kim Kardashian derriere. Curvy hips just didn’t make the cut in my gene pool,  and believe me, my lovely friends aren’t afraid to point this out either. This lead me to wonder whether there was such thing as ‘Padded Pants’ something similar to a padded bra that could make my ‘Booty’-‘Liciouss’, and guess what… THERE IS!                        

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Spanx.com is where I found them, and they have a wide range to choose from. On the site they sell a ‘slimplicity’ range called ‘Booty-Buster Shorts‘ that do just that. I must say, they aren’t the most attractive looking item I’ve ever laid my eyes on, but, I can’t see why they wouldn’t work.

As intrigued as I am, I don’t think I’m quite ready to take this plunge just yet, especially with a price tag of 70$. Anyway, what’s wrong with a few flaws? Sure aren’t they great for character building (so they say).

Will this be another ‘must have’ in a consumer driven quest for perfection? We already have the make-up, fake; Nails, Eyelashes, Hair, Boobs even high heels give us a little bit of ump, so why not add this to the list?

Personally, it all just seems a little too high maintenance for me!

Sparkling Whites….Your TEETH That Is!!

Last week saw that return of the Tennis Championships at Wimbledon. With the surprise early exit of Nadal (sigh) , my attention was quickly diverted to the events signature snack,  STRAWBERRIES….

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Strawberries  are in season from now until September, and are classified by experts  as a supahfood, meaning, they’re supah good for you! This is mainly due to their high level of vitamin C and their antioxidant properties (fascinating, I hear you say) But did you know they are also an excellent  way for you to naturally whiten  your nashers? Strawberries naturally contain Malic Acid, This is an acid that you’ll find in whitening toothpaste and strips as it acts as an astringent to remove surface discoloration.

All you need is a few strawberries and a pinch of baking soda for a quick and easy way to brighten up your smile. The strawberries will loosen the hold of stains and the baking soda will buff them all away.

THIS IS HOW YOU DO IT!

1.  Crush 1 or 2 berries until they form a pulp
2. Add a 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda and give it a good mix
3. Using a toothbrush (That’s what I use) spread it across your teeth and leave it for 5 minutes
4. Brush your teeth with toothpaste after to remove all the mixture, Have some floss handy, just incase your left with seeds between your teeth

Strawberries contain natural sugar, so if you don’t brush your teeth after it can aid cavities, not to mention the damage the acid can cause to your enamel if its left on for too long. To keep your teeth in their best condition it’s not recommended that you do this more than once a week.

My Verdict: If you try this once every month and use ‘Aquafresh Extreme Clean Whitening Toothpaste’ you’ll be guaranteed to see a difference. If you’re too lazy to use the strawberries, I can’t recommend the Aquafresh Toothpaste highly enough (make sure it’s the extreme clean) It only costs around 3e and is available EVERYWHERE, no excuses!